Desk.



' PATENTBD JAN. 29, 1907.

E. L. GARDNER. DESK.

,APPLIOATION FILED 4APRJA, 1906.

2 SEBETS-SHEET 2.

s co.. lMsHINGIaN. D. c

UNITED STATES PATENT orrios.

DESK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 29, 1907.

Application filed April 14. 1906. Serial No. 311|727.

To all when@ z5 may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWIN L. GARDNER, a citizen of the United States, residin atLogan, in the county of Cache and tate of Utah, have invented new and useful Improvements in Desks, of which the following is`a specification.

The invention relates to an improvement in desks, particularly of the roller-top type, in which the receiving-sections are arranged to effectively guard their contents against moisture and dust.

The main object of the present invention is the production of a desk of the type described for the maximum receiving capacity, the receiving-sections being arranged to be normally housed within a protecting-casing and movable to provide for ready access thereto when desired.

The invention will be described in the following specification, reference being'had particularly to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of a desk constructed in accordance with my invention.. Fig. 2 is a transverse section of the same. Fig. 3 is a broken perspective of the guides for the drawer-sections- Referring to the drawings, wherein like reference-numerals indicate like parts throughout the several views, the desk of my invention, aside from the particulars hereinafter noted, is of the usual construction, compris, ing'a writing-shelf 1, sides 2, and a back 3, the latter being spaced from the rear wall 4 of the desk to provide-a space 5 for the reception of the roller-top 6 and constructed of the usual independently-mounted slats.

In the particular construction of the desk the roller-top 6 is adapted to be wholly arranged Within the space 5 when said top is in open position, and to permit operation of the top the guideways 7, ordinarily arranged in the side walls of the desk above the writingshelf, extend wholly through said side walls, providing extensions 8 of the ordinary guideways, in which extensions are positioned pins 9, secured to the end of the top, the pins preferably projecting beyond the outer surfaces of the side walls and provided with handles for suitable operation. The rear ends of the guideways terminate coincidently with the space 5, being at said rear ends extended downwardly at 10 for a short distance to provide for properly positioning the top wholly within the space 5 when in open position, as will be clearly seen from Fig. 2.

Formed integral with the side walls 2 of the desk, at the rear portion thereof, are vertically-arranged extensions 11, which are connected by a top 12, a front wall 13, and a rear wall 14, it being understood that the rear wall 4 of the desk extends to the top 12 and that the rear wall 14 of the top extension is in vertical alinement with the back 3 of the desk proper, so that the space 5 is coextensive with the full height of the desk. As thus described, a closed extension in the form of a box-like casing is arranged atthe upper rear portion of the desk, being open only at the bottom and being coextensive in length with the distance between the side walls 2.

Within the casing described is mounted a number of independent receiving-sections 15 and 16, two being shown in the .present instance. These sections are of a size to fit within the casing, being arranged end to end,

and are preferably box-like structures open only on their front side. Each section is connected to a counterbalance 17, slidably mounted in a groove 18, formed in the rear Wall 4 of the desk,the medium of connection being preferably a flexible connector 19 centrally secured to the section and passed over the pulleys 20 21, connected, respectively, to the top 12 centrally above the section and centrally within the space 5, so that the connector 19 is properly held to its work.

The sections 15 and 16 are preferably of particular construction, the former being arranged to receive books or other similar articles, having an uninterrupted interior and being provided with a movable partition 22, connectedto one end wall of the section by a coil-spring 23, whereby books or similar articles may be held between said partition and the end of the section by the pressure of the spring 23, thereby securing the books in upright position without regard to their number or size. The section 16 is preferably divided into a plurality of pigeon-holes 24, through the ordinary use of longitudinal and transverse partitions, and said section may, if preferred, be provided with one or more drawers 25.

Receiving-sections 26 27 are mounted in the desk structure below the writing-shelf 1, partitions 28 being arranged in spaced par- IOO allel relations to the sides 2 to provide for the reception of these sections. The section 26 is preferably a box-like structure open only on the inner side and provided at its outer end with casters 29 to guide the section in operation. A movable partition 30 is arranged within this section, normali under tension through the medium of a coi -spring 81, whereby to automatically reduce the size of the section in accordance with its contents. The section 27 is similar to section 26, with the exception that it is provided with a longitudinally-arranged partition 32, spaced from and extending parallel with the bottom of the section, between which partition and the bottom are arranged in any usual or preferred manner a plurality of drawers 33. The space above the partition 32 is provided with a movable partition 34, spring-pressed by coil-spring 35, similar in all respects to the construction of the section 26.

To provide for accurately guiding the sections 26 and 27 in operation, the corners thereof are reinforced by approximately semicylindrical guiding-strips 36, and the corners of the chambers in which the sections are arranged for movement are provided with flanges 37, having laterally-curved edges 3S, corresponding in curvature to that of the strips 36 and adapted to receive said strips in operation. By preference the strips 36 are extended rearwardly beyond the respective sections on the upper side thereof, as at 39, being bent downwardly from the rear end of said extensions and secured to the rear wall of the sections to provide a brace 40. The extensions 39 serve to guide and support 'the rear end of the section in the event the same is drawn too far forward in operation, as will be obvious.

It is to be noted that the chambers receiving the sections 26 and 27 are without a bottom closure, so that the guide-flanges 37 in the bottom of said chambers serve as supports for the sections.

In use with the roll-top of the desk in its open position either of the sections 15 or 16 are readily accessible for use by being drawn down to the plane of the writing-shelf and after use may be returned to their normal position within the housing' by a slight upward movement. Either section 26 or 27 is readily accessible from the ordinary position of the user of the desk, particularly as said sections open inwardly or toward the user.

Ihen the desk is closed, the roll-top 6 will be projected directly beneath the sections 15 and 16, thereby securing said sections within a close housing against unauthorized admission thereto.

The cover-plate 13 of the housing may, if preferred, be ofglass to provide inspection of the sections 15 and 16.

The structure as a whole provides for the ready and convenient reception of books or papers in a manner to prevent access of dust or moisture thereto, it being obvious that with the roll-top of the desk in closed position the sections 15 and A16 are eiiectively protected and that even with the roll-top in open position said sections are not exposed except during the period of actual use.

The desk aside from the particular features hereinabove described may be of any usual or preferred construction and include any of the special features ordinarily incident to desks of this character. The drawer-sections 26 and 27 may be provided with any suitable handle to permit their convenient operation.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new ish 1. A desk including a casing open at the bottom, a roller-top having a path of movement across the open bottom of the casing, and a plurality of sections vertically movable in the casing, each of said sections being arranged for independent movement relative to the casing. y

2. A desk including a casing open at the bottom, a roller-top having a path of move. nient across the open bottom of the casing, a plurality of sections vertically movable in the casing, and a counterbalance connected to each section.

3. A desk including a casing open at the bottom, a roller-top having a path of movement across the open bottom of the casing, a plurality of sections vertically movable in the casing, and a counterbalance connected to each section, one of said sections having a spring-pressed partition to automatically reduce and regulate the size of the receivingspace. Y

4. A desk including a casing open at the bottom, a roller-top having a path of movement across the open bottom of the casing, a plurality of sections vertically movable in the casing, a counterbalance connected to each section, and a plurality of receivingsections slidably arranged in the lower portion of the desk, each of said latter sections olpelning inward toward the center of the c es i.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

EDWIN LEROY GARDNER.

Witnesses:

EMIL ANDERSON, ANDREW KING, Jr.

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